that ice is slowly melting
by alinaandalion
Summary: Regina laughs, the sound a harsh crack; Kathryn winces and looks at her again because she's never seen the Evil Queen in Regina's eyes, but maybe now—still, no, it's missing. She wonders sometimes if it was ever there at all. Regina/Kathryn, Ice Queen


As Kathryn turns around from the diner's counter, coffee cup firmly in hand, she almost runs straight into Mary Marg—Snow. It's Snow, now.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been standing so close," Snow says with a wide smile, David hovering beside her, his fingers on her elbow.

_Well, you've done a lot of things you shouldn't have._ Kathryn shakes her head and forces a smile onto her face. It wasn't an affair, it wasn't cheating, it shouldn't hurt, it shouldn't, but she can't look at him and she still wants to strangle Mar—_Snow_ with her own scarf.

"It's fine."

David steps up beside Snow, his arm moving to wrap around _his wife's _waist. "We haven't seen you since—how have you been?"

Since the abduction, since the curse broke, since the world fell apart and Kathryn doesn't know which life she's supposed to be living.

"Fine." The words sound hollow, fake, and she has to swallow hard to make the bitterness retreat. "I've been fine. How about the two of you?"

Snow _beams_, and Kathryn grips her coffee tighter. "Oh, it's been _wonderful. _We have our daughter back and Henry, and we couldn't be happier."

Now _that_ is a lie, but Snow is looking at her with hard eyes and clinging closer to David. Like Kathryn would even want him now, now that she remembers everything. Even if Fred isn't part of this new beginning, Kathryn is never going back.

"Well, I'm glad. For both of you." Kathryn smiles again and skirts around Snow and David. "I have to go. But maybe we'll see each other later?"

She thinks she hears David say something behind her, but she's already halfway out the door.

* * *

Kathryn knocks on the door again and cups her stiffening fingers to her mouth, blowing on them. It's cold, so cold, too cold, and she misses the old kingdom with its mild winters and hot summers but there's no golden touch here so it's better, it is, even if she's about to freeze to death on Regina's front porch.

The door opens then and Regina stands there, staring at her.

"Hey," Kathryn says, her voice soft and hoarse.

"Kathryn," Regina breathes out, and it only takes a moment, just one second for her spine to straighten but the proud tilt of her head, that slight smirk, they aren't there anymore. "What are you doing here?"

Kathryn can just feel the warmth from the house on her face so she shifts closer. "I missed you."

Regina laughs, the sound a harsh crack; Kathryn winces and looks at her again because she's never seen the Evil Queen in Regina's eyes, but maybe now—still, no, it's missing. She wonders sometimes if it was ever there at all.

"I tried to have you killed." It's like her face is a mask, impenetrable, unbreakable. "I cursed all of you."

"I still miss you," Kathryn tells her.

Regina shakes her head, her shoulders sagging. "Go home, Kathryn, to your knight. Enjoy your happy ending."

Kathryn almost does. She almost turns around and goes home because she misses Regina but she also doesn't really like her, probably hates her at least a little bit, and it's only desperation and loneliness that are driving her here; she stops, though. Because if this is Kathryn's happy ending and the breaking of the curse took away all Regina had left, her victory and her happiness, then—

"No, I won't." Kathryn moves closer and says, "Fred is gone, he's not my happy ending or whatever you want to call it. And I am angry with you, Regina, I am because you _hurt_ me for your stupid revenge, but you're my friend, the only one I really have, and I've missed you."

"Kathryn—"

"No, don't. I just—David cheated on me. And it might not have been a real affair because Snow is his _wife_, but it hurt. It _hurts_ and I'm not allowed to be angry about it, I'm not supposed to hate them, to hate them more than I'll ever hate you. But I do. And I just need someone who will understand that. Who will let me feel that."

Regina looks at her for what feels like hours, because it's cold, because Regina hasn't ever looked at her like that before, but Regina finally sighs.

"It's warmer inside."

* * *

"Do you miss him?"

"Who?"

"Your knight."

"Fred…I love him. But it's not the same anymore. We both—we both decided we like the lives we have now, and that means that we just don't…work like we did before."

"Because of the curse."

"Because of a lot of things. Not just that."

"But it is a reason."

"Yes."

* * *

Regina pours more wine into her glass and puts aside the empty bottle. "I've been trying to get some things out of my old office—"

"Regina, I am not sneaking into Town Hall and stealing files for you," Kathryn says, but she smiles as she sips her wine. "You're just going to have to deal with the fact that David and Snow are in charge now."

"They don't know anything," Regina grumbles, glaring at the crackling fire. "Running a town like Storybrooke is very different from running a kingdom. Especially now that people from the outside can come in."

Kathryn shrugs. "Just enjoy the break. I mean, gods, at least you don't have to deal with all the piles of paperwork and trying to keep everyone happy and all those boring council meetings, right?"

Regina only gulps down what's left of her wine and snaps her fingers, a fresh bottle appearing. Kathryn raises her eyebrows; they've already gone through two and she's starting to feel fuzzy and warm, but it's Regina's house and Kathryn is trying to be her friend so she's not going to say anything. Especially not when there's a suitcase of Henry's things waiting beside the door for Emma to pick up.

Kathryn sighs. "You miss it, don't you?"

Regina doesn't look at her as she uncorks the bottle with a small wave of her hand. "Storybrooke is _my _town. I created it, and I'd prefer not to watch the two idiots burn it down with their incompetence."

"Oh."

"What?" Regina snaps as she pours a full glass.

Shaking her head, Kathryn smiles as she says, "I just didn't realize that you cared so much. I thought it was about being mayor, but that's not it at all, is it?"

"No." Regina's voice is small, quiet, soft.

Kathryn reaches across the couch cushion and takes Regina's hand in hers, rubbing her thumb against Regina's palm. And it might be the wine that makes her notice, see how Regina's dark, dark eyes are so gentle, aching, and Regina takes in this slight shuddering breath as Kathryn slides closer.

She wants to say something, but the wine has stolen any coherent thoughts, so Kathryn just brushes her lips against Regina's cheek. There's a moment when Kathryn considers leaning in again, pressing her mouth against the scar above Regina's lip, pressing her mouth against Regina's mouth, kissing her and kissing her and kissing her, because Regina is, gods, Regina is _beautiful_, but she breathes and Regina turns her head away and it's gone.

* * *

"Maybe we shouldn't drink every time I come over here."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just that—don't you want to do something else? Go somewhere?"

"In Storybrooke?"

"Where else would we go?"

"People don't exactly…_like_ me, Kathryn. I'm lucky they haven't vandalized my house, and I think that's mostly out of fear of my magic."

"You'll be with me."

"…that won't stop them."

"Maybe not. But at least you won't be alone."

* * *

Henry opens the door just as Kathryn is raising her fist to knock again. She stops, and he grins up at her.

"My mom's in the kitchen," he announces, stepping back to let her inside. "What're you doing here?

"Henry, who's at the door—oh." Regina stops and looks from Kathryn to Henry then back again. "Kathryn. I…I forgot that you were coming over. Henry called and wanted to spend the night here, and I just didn't think—"

"No, it's fine," Kathryn says quickly. She smiles. "I'll just leave the two of your to your evening."

"You don't have to go," Henry says as she starts to turn for the door. Kathryn looks back at him, sees his eyes darting between her and Regina as he rocks on the balls of his feet. "She can stay, right, Mom?"

Regina raises her eyebrows. "Well, of course, but—"

Henry doesn't wait for her to finish; he just grabs Kathryn by the hand and starts to pull her in the direction of the living room. "We're going to play _Mario Kart_ until the pizza gets here and then Mom said it was okay to eat in front of the TV and watch a movie. Do you like the Avengers?"

"Um, they're superheroes, right?"

"The best! I think Mom likes the X-Men better, but she still really likes the Avengers, too."

She hears Regina's soft amused laugh behind them, and it settles somewhere in her chest, warm and glowing.

* * *

"Henry has grown rather fond of you."

"He's a sweet boy, Regina. But I don't want to intrude on your time with him. I know it's not been the same since…since everything happened."

"He wants you here. You're not intruding."

"Still, maybe—"

"I want you here, too. I like it. Spending time with you and Henry."

"Oh, okay."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm—I'm fine."

* * *

She leans over and kisses Regina. Because Regina is smiling, because Regina is beautiful when she smiles and laughs, and Regina gasps against her mouth, lips soft. And maybe she's wrong, maybe there's nothing here, but Regina is kissing her back and their noses bump against each other and Kathryn laughs, pulling back.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," she breathes out, still close, her fingers curling around Regina's shoulder.

"You didn't have to wait so long," Regina says as she arches up, barely brushing her lips against the corner of Kathryn's mouth.

So Kathryn kisses her again. And again and again and again, until she's gently rocking her hips against Regina's thigh, one of her hands tracing along the ridges of Regina's spine.

"Stay tonight," Regina murmurs against her mouth. "Stay."

She does.


End file.
